Response to Group E Prompt

"What did you think was the most effective type of media in presenting an aspect of rhetoric? Would you have chosen a different media source if you could for the rhetorical analysis project? Why or why not?"

I think this question may be a little vague, and much too broad for it's own good. There are so many different aspects of rhetoric and so many different ways in which those aspects can be presented, even with specific media types. However, I guess the most effective way to present an aspect of rhetoric would be in the form of video. Whether this be a TV show or a commercial of some kind, I believe this is the most effective way because it is such a large outlet of news and information and is so widely viewed. While I know that magazines and newspapers have not died off yet, and that internet is up and coming as possibly the most prominent source of media, I still think that TV holds much of the worlds attention, and commercial would probably be the more specific outlet of rhetoric required material.

This being said I would have liked to have chosen advertisements for the project, because they, like commercials, require lots of information to be sent to a consumer in a short amount of time. Making an advertisement would have been rich with analysis possibilities for this reason. There is so much to put into a small space, and you have to catch the consumer's attention, and you have to effect them enough to spend their hard earned money on your product.

Response to Group D Prompt

"In response to the Taylor Swift article we read and discussed about in class, what is one song that means something to you? Is it by your favorite artist? Analyze the lyrics (if there are any). When listening to the song, what images come to mind? Why?"

"Look at this big eyed fish, swimming in the sea, oh

How he dreams to be a bird, swoop and diving, through the breeze, so one day

Caught a big ol' wave up on to the beach, now he's

Dead you see, beneath the sea is where a fish should be"

This is from a song called "Big-Eyed Fish" by Dave Matthews Band. No this is not my favorite artist, but they are way up there on my list. This also one of my favorite songs of theirs. I chose this one specifically because I felt I had a fairly good grip on the lyrics and there meaning. This is the first verse of the song and we get this 'big-eyed' fish swimming around the sea, and it wants to be a bird and fly, but when it tries, obviously it gets beached and dies. He goes on to sing, beneath the sea is where a fish should be. This lays out the ideas of being who you are. Don't try to be anyone else, cause you're really good at what you do, and if you try to become someone you're not, it will only screw things up.

Obviously the song paints pretty clear pictures. I see a fish swimming around and there's seagulls above and it tries to go on the nice sandy beach. More than looking at that obvious of an image I guess I can say that I also see the general idea of someone stepping into the world, trying to find their place, 'big-eyed', etc.

Response to Group B Prompt

"how do you think the use of hitchhiking has changed over time?...what do you think is the cause of this? is it beneficial to those in need or just overall too dangerous?..explain your thoughts"

The story of Chris McCandless did not even take place that long ago. Less than twenty years ago he was hitchhiking across the country and meeting all sorts of great new people, at least that is what we read. Therefore, my original argument that it is just too dangerous nowadays seems slightly invalid to me. In answering all the questions, of course hitchhiking is beneficial to those who need it. They want to get to some place faster and hitching a ride is obviously the easiest and cheapest way to do it. I believe that hitchhiking has not changed much over time at all, though it seems to have to many of us. This is because most of us have grown up being told about the dangers of strangers, and, living in more densely populated, busy areas where our lives become more and more anonymous. I believe it was most likely easier for Chris to get rides with people from smaller towns, because they are less insular.

Maybe I am reaching beyond the scope of my knowledge by saying something like that, and if I were to be refuted I would honestly not have much of an argument. I have never hitchhiked, and most likely, never will. I guess, in conclusion, my view of hitchhiking is that the dangers have most likely always been the same and that the only our perceptions of it as a risky move have grown. This would be because I have grown up in a larger community with lots of anonymity of lives and lessons about being wary of strangers. This would be similar for a lot of the country in general as population grows and communities become larger.